This invention relates generally to lamination apparatuses and methods and, more particularly, to rotary converting lamination apparatuses and methods.
Various lamination apparatuses and processes have been developed to produce products constructed from sheet material. Many conventional lamination approaches employ a cutting mechanism that cuts a sheet of material into small segments. The individual segments are then manually or mechanistically aligned and layered as part of a separate lamination process. The layered structure is then subjected to lamination forces by an appropriate force producing mechanism.
Notwithstanding the variety of conventional lamination and stacking approaches currently available, many of such approaches are not well suited for applications which require relatively high levels of productivity, automation, and flexibility. For example, many conventional lamination processes are unable to accommodate varying types of materials, sheet sizes, and sheet shapes. Many of such available lamination techniques are not well suited nor adaptable to autonomously and continuously laminate multiple webs of differing materials, as is typically necessary in the construction of thin-film electrochemical laminate structures, for example.
There exists a need for an improved apparatus and method for laminating films and sheet materials of varying types, colors, shapes, and sizes. There exists a particular need for an improved apparatus and method for laminating layers of electrochemical cell materials and for producing electrochemical unit cells for use in the construction of solid-state, thin-film batteries. The present invention fulfills these and other needs.
The present invention is generally directed to an apparatus and method for rotatably cutting and/or laminating layered structures or sheet material supported by webs. The present invention is also directed to an apparatus and method for rotatably cutting layered structures or sheet material supported by a web, and laminating cut layered structures/sheets to other web material such that a spacing is provided between adjacent cut layered structures/sheets. Additional structural and process features of the present invention further provide for cutting through the other web material, but not entirely through a liner of the other web, within the spacing between adjacent cut layered structures/sheets.
In the context of an electrochemical cell construction, a rotary converting apparatus and method of the present invention converts a web comprising a cathode layered structure and a web comprising an anode layered structure into a series of layered electrochemical cell structures supported by a release liner. Employment of a rotary converting process of the present invention provides, among other benefits, for the creation of a product having a finished size, without need for downstream or subsequent cutting.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus and method provide for the production of a series of thin-film electrochemical unit cells. A web (cathode web) comprising a cathode layered structure moving at a first speed is cut into a series of cathode sheets. Each of the cathode sheets is moved at a second speed equal to or greater than the first speed. Each of the cathode sheets moving at the second speed is laminated to a web (anode web) comprising an anode layered structure moving at the second speed to produce a laminated unit cell having a space between adjacent cathode sheets. The laminated anode web is cut within the space between adjacent cathode sheets to produce a series of unit cell sheets.
In one particular embodiment, cutting the cathode web involves cutting a portion of the cathode web and removing the excess cathode web. The space between adjacent cathode sheets, in this embodiment, is a function of a size and/or shape of the removed excess cathode web.
According to another embodiment, cutting the cathode web involves rotatably cutting the cathode web, and laminating each of the cathode sheets to the anode web involves rotatably moving each of the cathode sheets at the second. speed. Laminating each of the cathode sheets to the anode web may further involve rotatably moving the anode web at the second speed. The anode web may include a release liner, and cutting the laminated anode web may involve cutting through the anode layered structure to at least, or through a portion of, the release liner.
Each of the cathode sheets may be defined by a length (L). Cutting the cathode web may be accomplished using a rotary die. In this case, the length (L) of each cathode sheet is a function of the first speed (W1) of cathode web movement relative to the second speed (W2) of the rotary die.
The cathode web may be cut using at least one rotating die blade separated by a circumferential blade spacing (D). The length (L) of each cathode sheet, in this case, is a function of the first speed (W1) of cathode web movement relative to the circumferential die blade spacing (D) and the second speed (W2) of the rotary die. For example, the length (L) of each cathode sheets may be characterized by an equation L=D(W1/W2).
The space (S) between adjacent cathode sheets, according to one embodiment, is a function of the first speed (W1) of cathode web movement relative to the second speed (W2) of anode web movement. Cutting the cathode web may involve cutting the cathode web with at least one rotating die blade separated by a circumferential blade spacing (D), such that the space (S) between adjacent cathode sheets is a function of the first speed (W1) of cathode web movement relative to the circumferential die blade spacing (D) and the second speed (W2) of the rotary die. For example, the space (S) between adjacent cathode sheets may be characterized by an equation S=D((W2/W1)xe2x88x921).
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, the cathode sheets may be defined by a length (L) of between about 0.25 inches and about 24 inches. The space (S) between adjacent cathode sheets may range between about 0.015 inches and about 0.4 inches. A ratio of the second speed with respect to the first speed may range between about 1.005 and about 1.05. The first speed may range between about 5 feet per minute and about 500 feet per minute, and the second speed may range between about 5.025 feet per minute and about 525 feet per minute.
Laminating the cathode sheets to the anode web may further involve laminating each of the cathode sheets to the anode web such that a portion of each cathode sheet extends beyond at least one edge of the anode layered structure of the anode web to provide a lamination offset therebetween. The lamination offset may, for example, range between about 0.04 inches and about 0.31 inches.
Laminating the cathode sheets to the anode web may also involve heating one or both of the cathode sheets or the anode web. Cutting the laminated anode web may further involve detecting the space between adjacent cathode sheets, such as by optical or mechanical techniques.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus and method of producing a series of thin-film electrochemical unit cells provides for moving a web (cathode web) comprising a cathode layered structure at a first speed. The cathode web is rotatably cut at a second speed to produce a series of cathode sheets. Each of the cathode sheets moving at the second speed is rotatably laminated to a web (anode web) comprising an anode layered structure moving at a third speed to produce a laminated unit cell having a space between adjacent cathode sheets.
In one configuration, the first, second, and third speeds are substantially equal. In another configuration, the second and third speeds are substantially equal, and the second and third speeds are greater than the first speed. In yet another configuration, the first and second speeds are substantially equal, and the third speed is greater than the first and second speeds. In a further configuration, the first, second, and third speeds are unequal, such that the third speed is greater than the second speed, and the third and second speeds are greater than the first speed.
According to another configuration, the first and second speeds are substantially equal, and cutting the cathode web involves cutting a portion of the cathode web and removing the excess cathode web to produce the space between adjacent cathode sheets. In this case, the space between adjacent cathode sheets is a function of a size and/or shape of the removed excess cathode web.
In another approach, the third speed is greater than the first and second speeds, and laminating each of the cathode sheets to the anode web further involves moving the anode web at the third speed to produce the space between adjacent cathode sheets. According to a further approach, the third speed is greater than the first and second speeds, and laminating each of the cathode sheets to the anode web further involves rotatably moving each of the cathode sheets at the second speed while rotatably moving the anode web at the third speed to produce the space between adjacent cathode sheets. Laminating each of the cathode sheets to the anode web may also involve laminating each of the cathode sheets to the anode web such that a portion of each cathode sheet extends beyond at least one edge of the anode layered structure of the anode web to provide a lamination offset therebetween.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus and method of producing a series of thin-film electrochemical unit cells involves cutting a web comprising a cathode layered structure at a first speed into a series of cathode layered structures using a patterned rotary die. Each of the cathode layered structures is laminated to a web comprising an anode layered structure moving at a second speed equal to or greater than the first speed to produce a laminated unit cell having a space between adjacent cathode layered structures. Waste cathode web material resulting from patterned rotary die cutting is discarded or collected.
According to this embodiment, the space between adjacent cathode layered structures is a function of a size and/or shape of the patterned rotary die. The patterned rotary die may, for example, have a rectangular shape.
In accordance with another embodiment, an output of a rotary converting apparatus of the present invention may be coupled to an input to a stacking apparatus of the present invention. A combined rotary converting/stacking apparatus and methodology according to the present invention provides for the production of laminated stacks of similar or dissimilar layers of varying materials, in virtually any shape.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. Advantages and attainments, together with a more complete understanding of the invention, will become apparent and appreciated by referring to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.